How to block a phone number on any iPhone and any version of iOS: Block numbers in iOS 6, iOS 7 and iOS 8

Nuisance calls can make life miserable. Here's how to block numbers on an iPhone in iOS 7 and iOS 8 (which is easy) and in iOS 6 (which is a bit more difficult). We also explain how to find out if someone has blocked you.

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How can I block numbers on my iPhone? Can I block nuisance callers in iOS 6, or is it only possible in iOS 7 and iOS 8?

Nuisance calls are the bane of the modern age. If you're not being rung up by a teenager in a call centre about switching energy supplier, it's someone about PPI, or maybe a grumpy ex-boyfriend. They're enough to turn the advantages of a mobile phone - easy communications, wherever and whenever - into a curse. Fortunately you can block specific callers (or rather, specific numbers), enabling you to avoid them safely without having to cut yourself off from the people you want to talk to.

If you'd rather watch the process than read about it, however, take a look at this quick video tutorial:

Until recently the iPhone didn't offer a straightfoward way to block an incoming number: it could be done, but it involved sneaky workarounds or jailbreaking. But that all changed with the introduction of Apple's iOS 7 operating system for iPhone (and iPad and iPod touch too). Soon iOS 8 will launch, but this retains the simple number-blocking features of iOS 7.

Here's how to block an unwanted caller's numbers on an iPhone, whether it's an iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S or an earlier model - even the iPhone 3GS, which can't run iOS 7. And we explain how to block numbers in iOS 7 and iOS 8 (which is easy) and in iOS 6 and earlier OS software (which is a bit more difficult).

How to block numbers on an iPhone in iOS 7 and iOS 8

Let's start with the easier task. Blocking a nuisance caller's phone number in iOS 7 (and iOS 8) is simple.

Say you receive a call, hang up (or don't answer), and then decide you want to block that person's number and avoid being bothered in the future.

Simply go to your list of recent callers (from the Home screen you can open the Phone app, then clock on the Recents tab at the bottom). Click the 'i' symbol next to the unwanted number, then scroll down to the bottom of the resulting screen and clock Block this Caller, then confirm your decision. You won't be bothered with any calls, texts or FaceTime link-ups from that number.

(When we tried calling an iPhone that had blocked us, we heard a single ring, and were then diverted to the O2 messaging service, where we recorded a message. But the iPhone didn't ring, or show the number in its recent calls, and we couldn't find any new voicemail.)

We didn't appreciate being contacted by that blurred-out number at the top, so let's block it. Click the 'i' to the right of the number and we'll see this screen (scroll down to the bottom):

Alternatively, go to the Settings app and scroll down to the Phone section. Scroll down again and click Blocked, and you'll see your list of blocked callers. Hit Add New and pick further numbers to block from your contacts list. (You'd need to add the nuisance caller to your contacts list for this method to work, however.)

How to unblock numbers on an iPhone in iOS 7 and iOS 8

The second method comes into its own when we reverse the decision. Go to Settings, Phone, Blocked and hit Edit. Click the red circle next to the blocked number you want to unblock, and a red button will appear. Press that.

Alternatively - and more helpfully if you change your mind right away - you can simply tap the 'Block this caller' option again, after clicking the 'i' symbol next to a recent number (it changes to 'Unblock this caller' when you block them).

Have I been blocked by an iPhone?

What about when the boot is on the other foot? How can you tell if someone has blocked your phone number on their iPhone?

The sad truth is that you can't tell for sure without stealing their phone and checking the blocked list. (Or you could always, you know, ask them.) But there are definitely clues, to do with the length of time your phone rings before being diverted to voicemail: a blocked call will always ring exactly once, as far as our experiments show.

Can I block a number on an iPhone in iOS 6?

The advice we'd offer first of all is to update to iOS 7 (or, when it comes out, iOS 8) - it's free and brings numerous useful features. Not everyone likes the colourful new look (although we reckon you'll get used to that). However, some devices simply can't run iOS 7 - any iPhones before the iPhone 4 are incompatible, and the iPhone 4 doesn't get access to all the features.

So ok - let's say you're sticking with iOS 6. You can still block a number on an iPhone in iOS 6, but it's a lot trickier. If you don't want to put up with problem callers and aren't willing to update to iOS 7, there are two techniques you can use to block nuisance callers on your iPhone. (A third technique would be to change your number, sadly.)

'Jailbreaking' your iPhone means bypassing the locks put in place by Apple to prevent unauthorised apps being used on the phone. Once your break these restrictions, you gain access to a large number of unofficial apps, many of which offer features you'd never otherwise be able to access; but jailbreaking is legally ambiguous, risky, and certain to void any warranties you have with Apple. Therefore our advice is to think long and hard before going ahead with the jailbreaking process. (What's more, the known methods for jailbreaking the iPhone 4S and later won't work if you've updated to iOS 6.1.3 or later, so you'll have to jump ahead to solution 2.)

If you decide to jailbreak your iPhone (and have heard and understood our warnings), we have full iPhone jailbreaking instructions here. As we said, you'll need to be using iOS 6.1.2 or earlier to achieve a long-term jailbreak - the most recent updates fixed the flaw that allowed the process to work. (iOS 7 hasn't been jailbroken yet, incidentally, but we expect it will be soon.)

Once you've jailbroken your iPhone, you need to find a call-blocking app. Search on the Apple App Store and the independent Cydia app store. The blocking app we are going to use is called iBlacklist, which is on Cydia. It costs $12.99 (about £8.50) and offers the ability to block calls and SMS messages from specific numbers, as well as all unknown numbers.

Install iBlacklist, restart your iPhone, open iBlacklist and click 'Blacklists'. To add a phone number to your blacklist, hit 'Add new Blacklist' and add it manually (you can do this via your recent call list). Once you've added a number, set the 'Call' icon to 'On'. To block text messages do the same thing with the 'Message' icon.

Now you need to configure what happens when a call comes in from a blacklisted number. Hit 'Action to be performed'. Options include blocking before your phone even acknowledges the call, sending back the engaged tone, sending the caller directly to voicemail, or automatically hanging up the call. Finally, hit the blue button to save your selections and that number is blocked.

2. Set up an 'unwanted caller' contact

That was the nuclear option, and certainly the most effective. However, we don't much like the idea of jailbreaking our iPhones, so we prefer this canny workaround.

Create a contact from the number you were called on. Instead of naming it after the person or company, however, call the contact 'Nuisance Caller', 'Hang Up' or some other label that you'll understand. When it comes up you'll know that it's an unwanted caller, and won't pick up.

It may look like I'm calling my 10-week-old son an idiot, but I'm not! Poor little chap.

And it doesn't just work on one number. Every time a different timewaster calls you, simply bring up the recent calls screen, tap the arrow by the number and hit 'Add to Existing Contact'. Then add them to the previously created contact.

But wait: it gets better. To save you the trouble of looking at your phone to see who's calling, you can set a specific ringtone to the troublemaker contact. The robot, say, or the quacking duck. Better still, you can set it to a silent ringtone. You'll need to create the ringtone yourself, but it's very easy. Just create a silent sample in GarageBand, then save it as a ringtone.

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Macworld UK said: Comments,Macworld UK,You've baffled me, I'm afraid. I thought you were on to something because I'm still on iOS 8.1, but I just checked with a colleague running iOS 8.1.3 and the 'Block This Caller' option is still there on the contact. And when you look at the number in Recents.If it is blocked (ie the number on the blocked list is definitely the right one) and the caller isn't hiding their Caller ID (ie when they call it shows up as the name of the contact) then I can't understand why iOS wouldn't be able to block the number. There must be something else going on but it's impossible to know without looking at everything you're doing - we'd be at it all day me asking if you're doing this or that and is this or that happening! I can only suggest taking the iPhone to an Apple genius, and I'm sorry I've not been able to help. But the method does work. I've used it myself.

Robanybody said: Comments,Robanybody,IOS 8.1.3 no longer has the Block this Caller option in the Contacts list. You now have to go to Settings/Phone/Block to see the list of blocked callers.Still doesn't work. Got a call from someone on the list just an hour ago.

Macworld UK said: Comments,Macworld UK,Are the nuisance callers blocking their Caller ID? Ie, when they call, does it say 'No Caller ID' on the screen? Because if not (ie, if it says 'Garbage'), then something's gone wrong.(If they *are* blocking their caller IDs, iOS can't block them, I'm afraid. But at least you know not to pick up calls that don't have a caller ID.)If you go into the Garbage contact and scroll down to the bottom, does it now say 'Unblock this Caller', or is it still offering the option 'Block this Caller'? It should say the first one. If it says the second one, the contact isn't blocked, so you should try again.

Macworld UK said: Comments,Macworld UK,It should still work for you and I don't know why it isn't. You don't need to add someone to your contacts to block them.Go into the Phone app and tap the Recents tab at the bottom. Find the nuisance number that called you (and isn't in your contacts, so should show up as a number rather than a name) and tap the letter i to the right of it. Scroll down to the bottom and tap Block this Caller.The fact that you're on an iPhone 5c shouldn't make a difference, except that it allows me to deduce that you're on iOS 7 or later, so you must have the call-blocking feature.Could you try exactly that sequence of actions and tell me what happens - if it works, or if something different appears?David, MW

Macworld UK said: Comments,Macworld UK,I take your point. In fact you can only block numbers in iOS 6 if you jailbreak (as in option 1).The 2nd option for iOS 6 is a workaround rather than a proper solution, but I'd have said that changing the ringtone to silent and the caller name to DON'T ANSWER is a decent result. In any case it's the best result possible unless you're willing to either jailbreak or update to iOS 7 or 8 (depending on which device you've got).It's annoying, of course, that Apple waited until iOS 7 to include this seemingly very straightforward and useful feature.

jana said: Comments,jana,That 2nd method for IOS6 doesn't block numbers. They can still keeping calling you. All it does is tell you not to answer their calls. How is that blocking them?

Calen said: Comments,Calen,This doesn't work with my iPhone 5C and someone who is not in my contact list. How can I tell the phone what number to block WITHOUT making the person I'm blocking part of my contact list???

E Hindman said: Comments,E Hindman,A problem I have encountered are these loan companies or other annoying companies appear to have a bank of phone numbers so if I block one number their next call rolls over to another one of their numbers. I can keep blocking their numbers but it does get tiresome.

Beard! said: Comments,Beard!,That is only for jailbroken phones. I won't be doing that.

diesel said: Comments,diesel,iblacklist - cydia app for iphone

Robanybody said: Comments,Robanybody,What a shame that this doesn't work though. I've created a contact (Garbage) in to which I've added every nuisance caller. However, despite having set the Block This Caller option all number on that contact list still get through. Can anyone tell me how to REALLY block unwanted callers?

Lindum said: Comments,Lindum,That works with the answerphone at home, but if you go to answerphone on a mobile phone - you cannot hear it. Thus if you pretend to be the answer-phone and then put it on mute you get the same effect. You have to be able to make a good "beep" sound of course.

Macworld UK said: Comments,Macworld UK,Didn't answerphones use to all be like that? You could monitor incoming calls by letting them go to answerphone and seeing who it was, then pick up if they weren't the person you were avoiding.I remember Sarah Connor leaving messages on her flatmate's answerphone and the Terminator hears her talking and that's how he tracks her down or something.

Beard! said: Comments,Beard!,Yet there is no way to block calls with no Caller ID. Why should I be forced to receive calls if someone is hiding behind a wall of anonymity?